Pilot for cars



Md 1 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.. R. DUNNING. PILOT FOR CARS.

N0. 572,652. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

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PILOT FOR CARS Patented Dec. 8, 1896;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT DUNNING, OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK.

PILOT FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,652, dated December8, 1896. Application filed August 5, 1896. Serial Nol,760. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT DUNNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie, in the State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Pilots for Cars, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of carpilots or life-guards whichare particularly applicable to electric and cable street-cars.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a simple pilot ofthis character which is very light and durable and which can be readilyattach ed to and detached from the car or be folded out of the way sothat the car can be housed in a smaller space.

My invention has the further object to provide simple means whereby themotorman stationed on the platform of the car can raise the pilot aboveits normal position for clearin g a large stone or other obstruction orlower it more closely to the ground, if desired/to render the same morecertain in action.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is acentral longitudinal section of my improved pilot applied to a car,showing the same in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the pilot, showing the same elevated or folded against the dash ofthe car. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the pilot and the adjacent portionof the car. Fig. 4is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on an enlargedscale, in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section in line 5 5, Fig.4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 4, showing amodification of the means for locking the pilot in its operativeposition. Fig. 7 is a cross-section in line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the longitudinal sills of a carplatform, A the flooring,and A the transverse buifer-beam. I V

The pilot or guard consists, preferably, of an open frame B of oblong orrectangular form, containing a filling or network of rope or othersuitable material, the frame being stiifened by a central cross-bar Band diagonal braces 13*, extending from the outer corners of the frameto the inner end of the central cross-bar. The several bars of thepilotframe are preferably constructed of wood,

and the side and end bars are connected by metallic corner-pieces Bprovided with end sockets b, in which the adjacent ends of the side andend bars are secured by transverse pins or rivets 19. pieces is providedon its inner side with an intermediate socket b for the reception of theouter end of the adjacent diagonal brace B The outer end of the centralcross-bar B is united to the outer side bar of the pilot-frameby'metallic plates b while the inner end of this bar and the adjoiningends of the diagonal braces are united to the inner side bar by metallicplates or connections b. This construction forms a very light, strong,and durable pilot which can be cheaply manufactured.

The pilot is provided with two supportingarms 0, which extend upwardlyand rearwardly therefrom, and whereby it is attached to the car. Each ofthese arms is preferably composed of two separated metallic straps orleaves 0 c and a wooden filling strip or block 0 interposed between theleaves. The two leaves extend rearwardly beyond this fillingstrip andare riveted or otherwise secured together, these continuous portionsforming horizontal attaching shanks or extensions 0 The lower end of theinner strap 0 is prefer- Each of the outer 'corner-,

ably secured to the front and rear bars of the pilot-frame, while theouter strap is extended along the under side of the pilot to the frontbar'the'reof and is provided underneath said bar with an enlargement 0forming a shoe or guardfor the front end of the pilot. This constructionof the arms renders the same very strong and at the same time affords acertain amount of elasticity at the ends of the filling-blockwhichenables the pilot .to yield when whipped against the pavement bythe vibrations of the car.

The pilot is preferably provided with an upward andrearward guardextension composed of angular end frames D and horizontal bars cl,secured at their ends to said end frames and passing through openingsformed in the I wooden fillings of the supportingarms C, as,

shown in Figs. 1 and E represents vertically-swinging sockets or pocketswhich are arranged on the under side v transverse pins or bolts e tohangers or brackets F, secured to the under side of the longitudinalsills and the buffer-beam of the car,

as shown, so that the hinged sockets can be swung into thesubstantially-horizontal position shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 forsupporting the pilot in its normal position or be swung downwardly andforwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 for folding the pilot Thebrackagainst the dashboard of the car. ets F preferably have the form ofan inverted trough, as shown, and the hinged sockets fit normallybetween the side walls of the brackets.

The shanks of the pilot-supporting arms are confined in the hingedsockets E by hooks g, pivoted to the outer side of the sockets andengaging with pins g, projecting laterally from the supporting-arms, asshown in Fig. 2. Any othersuitable retaining devices may, however, beemployed for this purpose.

In the form of my improvement shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the hinged sockets Eare retained in their normal horizontal position by the following means:H is a transverse rock-shaft arranged on the under side of thecar-platform 111 rear of the brackets F and journaled in suitablehangers or bearings. h h represent arms secured to the rock-shaft II andextending forwardly therefrom and having their front ends attached tothe free rear ends of the hinged sockets E by removable pins 2, passingthrough the arms and through perforated lugs or cars z", formed at ornear the rear ends of the sockets, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

J is an actuating arm or lever extending forwardly from the centralportion of the rockshaft II, and K is a treadle or upright rod pivotedat its lower end to the free end of said actuating-arm by a transversepin and extending upwardly through an opening 70, formed in the floor ofthe car-platform, as shown in Fig. 1, the treadle-rod terminating in ahead or foot plate Z is a catch or stop secured to the floor of theplatform and engaging in a notch or recess Z, formed in the adjacentside of the treadle-rod, so as to lock the same against verticalmovement.

m is a spring secured to the under side of the car-platform and bearingagainst the front side of the treadle-rod, whereby the latter isyieldingly held in engagement with its locking-catch Z.

In the normal position of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 3 therock-shaft H is held against turning by the engagement of thetreadle-rod K with the locking-catch l, and the arms h of the rock-shaftin turn hold the pivoted sockets E in their normal position by theirconnection with the rear ends of the sockets. When it is desired toraise the pilot above this normal position for clearing a stone or otherobstruction, the motorman pushes the treadle-rod K forwardly against thepressure of the spring m to release the rod, and then depresses thesame, by which movement the rock-shaft H is turned in the properdirection to depress its arms h, thereby causing the latter to depressthe rear ends of the hinged sockets E and swinging the pilot upwardly.Upon releasing the treadle-rod the pilot descends by gravity to itsformer position, thereby raising the rear ends of the sockets, swingingthe rock-shaft and its arms h to their former position, and causing thetreadle-rod to again interlock with its catch by the action of thespring m, which latter forces the rod rearwardly against the catch. Whenit is desired to lower the pilot below its normal position for bringingit closely to the ground, the motorman simply pushes the treadle-rodforward to release it from its catch and then removes his foottherefrom. The rock-shaft H now being free to turn, the hinged pilotdescends by gravity and swings the rear ends of the sockets E upwardlyuntil they come in contact with the top of the brackets F and arearrested by the latter.

When it is desired to fold the pilot out of the way, preparatory tohousing the car, the connecting pins 2' are removed, when the hingedsockets E are detached from the arms of the rock-shaft and the pilot canbe swung upwardly and rearwardly against the dash of the car, as shownin Fig. 2. In thus folding the pilot the shanks of its supporting-armsremain in the pivoted sockets and the latter swing downwardly andforwardly on their pivot-pins e. The sockets thus form swinging supportswhich permit the pilot to be swung out of the way without necessitatingits detachment from the sockets.

In order to detach the pilot from the car, the retaining-hooks g aresimply disengaged from the pins of the pilot-arms C and the shanks ofthese arms are withdrawn from the pivoted sockets.

In case the vertically-adj ustable feature of the pilot is not desired,the rock-shaft II and its actuating and locking devices may be omittedand each of the vertically-swinging sockets E retained in its normalelevated position by any suitable locking means, such, for instance, asa removable pin 71, arranged in openings formed in the sides of thebrackets F and the sockets, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this case thesockets are confined against vertical movement between the top of thebrackets and the pins n.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination with a car-platform, ofvertically-swinging sockets pivoted at their front ends to thecar-platform, whereby their free rear ends are capable of swingingdownwardly and fori-vardly, retaining devices for holding the rear endsof the sockets in their normal elevated position, and a pilot orlifeguard having supporting arms or shanks arranged in said sockets,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a car-platform, of

vertically-swinging sockets pivoted at their front ends to thecar-platform, whereby their free rear ends are capable of swingingdownwardly and forwardly, retaining devices for holding the rear ends ofthe sockets in their normal, elevated position, apilot or life-guardhaving supporting arms or shanks removably arranged in said sockets, andmeans for confining said shanks in the pivoted sockets, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination with a car-platform and brackets ofinverted-troughshape secured to the under side of the platform, of verticallyswingingsockets pivoted at their front ends to said brackets and adapted to fitbetween the side walls thereof, retaining devices for holding saidsockets in their normal elevated position, and a pilot having supportingarms or shanks adapted to fit into said sockets, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination with a car-platform, of

'a vertically-swinging socket or pocket pivoted at its front end to thecar-platform, a transverse rock-shaft journaled on the platform andhaving an arm connected with the free rear end of said socket, and meansfor retaining said rock-shaft in position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a car-platform, of

a vertically-swinging socket or pocket piv.

oted at its-front end to the car-platform, a transverse rock-shaftjournaled on the platform and having an actuating-arm, and an armconnected with the free rear end of said socket, and a treadle connectedwith said actuating-arm and extending upward through the car-platform,substantially as set forth. 6. The combination with a car-platform, of

a vertically-swinging socket or pocket pivoted at its front end to thecar-platform, a

transverse rock-shaft journaled on the plat-' form and having anactuating-arm, and an arm connected with the free rear end of saidsocket, a treadle connected with said actuating-arm and extending upwardthrough the car-platform, and a catch interlocking with said treadle,substantially as set forth.

7. A pilot or life-guard comprising an open rectangular frame composedof wooden side and end bars, a central crossbar of wood, and diagonalwooden braces extending from the outer corners of the frame to the innerend of said central cross-bar, inner metallic corner-pieces havingsockets for the reception of the adjacent side and end bars, outermetallic corner-pieces having sockets for the reception of the adjacentside and end bars and the outer ends of said diagonal braces andafilling or covering attached to said side and end bars, substantiallyas set forth.

8. A pilot or life-guard having upwardly and rearwardly extendingattaching-arms, each composed of a pair of separated metallic straps orleaves and a filling-strip interposed between said straps, the frontportions of the straps being secured to the pilot-frame and their rearportions extending beyond said filling-strip and forming shanks wherebythe pilot is attached to a car, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 22d day of June, 1896.

ROBERT DUNNING.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, KATHRYN ELMoRE.

